The main argument for this paper is that a broad view of development should not be restricted to economic issues, because the idea of development also encompasses political, social and environmental elements. The state plays a key role in this process, and its social policies support national development because they are connected to all major developmental issues. In order to assess these claims, this paper seeks to identify and measure the strength of such connections in Brazil. Our results corroborate the strategic role played by social policy in fostering development by promoting social justice through income growth and redistribution. In this light, social policy is established as an indispensable variable not only for facing challenges posed by adverse circumstances, but also for creating a more just, democratic and prosperous nation.
Social policy; Development; Social justice; Economic growth
